City Fires Top Jailer after Dispute over Escapes

ST. LOUIS–(KMOX)–The city has quietly fired its top jailer — just a few days before Christmas.

Gene Stubblefield had been suspended since September for a rash of four escapes at the city’s jails — escapes he blamed on Slay Administration budget cuts and refusal to fill vacancies . A study by Mayor Slay’s office blamed the breakouts on mistakes by individual guards.

After a pre-termination hearing December 16th, he was fired on December 23rd.

“It’s a horrible feeling, but I can’t say it’s not anything that I didn’t expect, because of the way it had been handled up until that point,” Stubblefield said.

Stubblefiled will fight on appeal. A hearing before the civil service commission is set for February 7, he said.

Mayor Slay’s Operations Director Sam Dotson conducted the review of city jails released after Stubblefield was suspended.

“As the commissioner of corrections, ultimately he’s responsible for the daily operations of the entire facilities ,” Dotson said.
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